Sun Prairie, WI Home Business: Home Daycare (2026)
Key Facts
- Family day care
- 4-8 children, permitted by right
- Intermediate day care
- 9-15 children, conditional use required
- Eligible districts
- RH-35ac, CR-5ac, ER-1, SR-4, MR-8, UR-12
- Minimum lot size
- 7,200 sq ft (intermediate tier)
- Living space
- 140 sq ft per child
- Outdoor play area
- 100 sq ft per child
- Rental permission
- Owner's written consent required
Summary
A licensed home daycare in the City of Sun Prairie is a zoned land use, not just a state license. Section 17.16.140(21) permits a Family Day Care Home for four to eight children by right in six residential districts, while Section 17.16.140(22) requires a conditional use permit for an Intermediate Day Care Home serving nine to fifteen children, with a minimum lot size and play-area standards.
21.Family Day Care Home (Four to Eight Children). Description: Family day care homes are occupied residences in which a qualified person or persons provide child care for four to eight children. The care of less than four children is not subject to the regulations of this title.a.Permitted by right (RH-35ac, CR-5ac, ER-1, SR-4, MR-8, UR-12). ... 22.Intermediate Day Care Home. Description: Intermediate day care homes are occupied residences in which a qualified person or persons provide child care for nine to fifteen (15) children. ... c.Conditional use regulations (RH-35ac, CR-5ac, ER-1, SR-4, MR-8, UR-12):i.Minimum lot size seven thousand two hundred (7,200) square feet;ii.Minimum of one hundred forty (140) square feet of living space per child;iii.Minimum of one hundred (100) square feet of fully enclosed outside play area shall be provided per child at maximum permitted occupancy;iv.Property owner's permission is required to operate facility on rental property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
The Sun Prairie Code of Ordinances splits home-based child care into two zoning tiers, both defined by how many children are cared for. Caring for fewer than four children is not regulated under this title at all. 140(21), meaning no special or conditional use hearing is needed. 140(22), which brings a public hearing before the plan commission and common council. The conditional-use standards attach real numbers: the lot must be at least seven thousand two hundred square feet, the home must provide at least one hundred forty square feet of living space per child, and at least one hundred square feet of fully enclosed outdoor play area per child at the facility's maximum permitted occupancy.
If the home is a rental, the property owner's written permission is required before the conditional use permit can issue. 050. Providers should note this zoning classification runs alongside, not instead of, the license Wisconsin's Department of Children and Families requires for four or more children in care.
Violations & Fines
Operating a Family or Intermediate Day Care Home outside the six residential districts the code lists, or running an Intermediate Day Care Home without the required conditional use permit, lot size, or play-area standards, is a zoning violation the Zoning Administrator enforces under Chapter 17.48. Renting a residence and operating a day care home without the property owner's written permission on file also breaches the conditional-use condition tied to the permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a zoning permit for a small home daycare in Sun Prairie?
What changes once I care for more than eight children?
How much outdoor play space does an intermediate day care home need?
Can I run a licensed day care home out of a rental house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sun Prairie
Compare Sun Prairie to another location·View the Wisconsin home business overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Home Daycare in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle home daycare.